12216

	va1-sg19016.securesites.net

	version=3.1.8





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[3] Germany & Belgium - website refs.



******

[Please note in addition to the website references provided by a 

diseases can be found on OIE's WAHID Database at



and a reasonably current map of the whole BT-8 outbreak can be found 

at the UK's DEFRA website

- Mod.PC]



******

Information 2007; 20(36) [edited]





Bluetongue, France

----------------------

Information received on 31 Aug 2007 from Mrs. Monique Eloit, 

Directrice generale adjointe, Direction generale de l'alimentation, 

Ministere de l'Agriculture et de la Peche, PARIS Cedex 15, France



Summary

Reason for notification Reoccurrence of a listed disease

Causal agent BTV

Serotype 8

Related reports Immediate notification

(28 Jul 2007); Follow-up report No. 1

(16 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 2

(17 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 3

(20 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 4

(23 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 5

(24 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 6

(29 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 7 (31 Aug 2007)



Total animals affected

Species Cattle

Susceptible 3004

Cases 33

Deaths 0

Destroyed 0

Slaughtered 0

Species Sheep

Susceptible 107

Cases 8

Deaths 0

Destroyed 0

Slaughtered 0



Outbreak statistics

Species Cattle

Apparent morbidity rate 1.10 percent

Apparent mortality rate 0.00 percent

Apparent case fatality rate 0.00 percent

Proportion susceptible removed* 0.00 percent



Species Sheep

Apparent morbidity rate 7.48 percent

Apparent mortality rate 0.00 percent

Apparent case fatality rate 0.00 percent

Proportion susceptible removed*

* Removed from the susceptible population either through death, 

destruction or slaughter





Movement control inside the country; Screening; Zoning; Control of 

arthropods; Vaccination permitted; No treatment of affected animals





Laboratory name and type AFSSA (National laboratory)

Species Cattle

Test RT-PCR (amplification genomique en chaine

avec polymerase - transcriptase inverse)

Result Positive



Laboratory name and type CIRAD (National laboratory)

Tests and results

Species Cattle

Test ELISA

Result Positive



******

Information 2007; 20(35) [edited]





Bluetongue, Luxembourg

----------------------------

Information received on 29 Aug 2007 from Mr Arthur Besch, Directeur 

des services veterinaires, Services veterinaires, Ministere de 

l'agriculture, de la viticulture et du developpement rural, 

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg



Summary

Causal agent Orbivirus

Serotype 8

Related reports Immediate notification

(22 Aug 2007); Follow-up report No. 1 (29 Aug 2007)



Total animals affected

Species Cattle

Susceptible 1870

Cases 12

Deaths 0

Destroyed 1

Slaughtered 0



Species Sheep

Susceptible 263

Cases 8

Deaths 3

Destroyed 0

Slaughtered 0



Outbreak statistics

Species Cattle

Apparent morbidity rate 0.64 percent

Apparent mortality rate 0.00 percent

Apparent case fatality rate 0.00 percent

Proportion susceptible removed* 0.05 percent



Species Cattle  Sheep

Apparent morbidity rate 3.04 percent

Apparent mortality rate 1.14 percent

Apparent case fatality rate 37.50 percent

Proportion susceptible removed* 1.14 percent

* Removed from the susceptible population either through death, 

destruction or slaughter





Movement control inside the country; Screening; Zoning; Control of 

arthropods; Vaccination prohibited; Treatment of affected animals





Centre (CERVA) (Regional Reference Laboratory)



Species Cattle

Test real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)

Result Positive



*******

[3] Germany & Belgium - website refs.

[login required]





The last week saw a remarkable increase in numbers of bluetongue 



It has to be noted that the authorities can't keep pace with the 

states  that as of 30 Aug 2007, 1338 cases have been confirmed



cases have been notified. Information given by the local veterinary 

services indicate that numbers now have reached nearly 1400 cases. 

For the 1st time a case  of bluetongue has been confirmed in a cow on 

a holding in Eastern Germany (Thuringia).



The situation is very different from last year [2006], as farmers are 

describing the disease as more "aggressive".  In addition, in 2006 

most farms experienced single cases ,whereas this year in cattle 

herds and sheep flocks multiple cases  are occurring.



--

Communicated by

Castleview Pedigree English Longhorns



[I have edited the subscriber further comments but they can be 

generally summarized as containing concern about the economic losses, 

animal welfare, options for control including vaccination, and urge 

coordinated government actions. - Mod.PC]



--

Sabine Zentis

Castleview Pedigree English Longhorns

Gut Laach





[In such a rapidly evolving situation, the animal health authorities 

must feel like they have been hit by a major windstorm. There are so 

many critical key activities they must accomplish including choice of 

disease control tactics, definitively establishing the breadth and 

scope of the outbreak, communicating with the public and responding 

to questions from the responsible political structures, to name only 

situation as the report from our subscriber indicates.



It would be valuable to understand the likely course of events as the 

efforts to develop a vaccine in time for this year's outbreak seem to 

have fallen short and it will clearly be quite some time until the 

first frost occurs stopping the _Culicoides_ activity and disease 

transmission. - Mod.PC]



--

....................pc/ejp/jw